Abdul Abdullah portrait finalist in Archibald Prize 2022

Abdul Abdullah (2022)
enamel, gloss acrylic and gesso on plywood

Perth-born, Sydney-based artist Abdul Abdullah is an eleven-time finalist in the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes.

‘Abdul has had a meteoric rise from the 25-year-old I first met at the 2011 Archibald when he came up and asked if he could photograph us together because it was his first time in the prize,’ says Knight, a regular finalist who was exhibiting in the Wynne that year.

Knight now considers Abdullah a friend and admires his infectious energy: ‘He gives 100 percent of himself to all his projects.’

This portrait – Knight’s eighth to be exhibited – is unlike most of his other Archibald entries, which have often been assemblages, had high-gloss surfaces or featured black outlines. ‘Its complexity comes from underpainting and drawing directly onto plywood with acrylic and pencil.

‘The different blues making up Abdul’s face come from painting ultramarine high saturate in the background, cerulean blue and titanium white for the face (along with the raw plywood, acrylic and pencil), and finally Prussian blue for the line work.’

As Knight puts it: ‘There is actually another entire portrait sitting under this one – it’s a triple portrait, no less!’